


The Compromise of Minds

by Laurana117



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe- still have powers, Erik is Crushing Harder than a 12-year Old Girl, King Charles - Freeform, Lies, M/M, Politics, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5564488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laurana117/pseuds/Laurana117
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik Lehnsherr is a German politician who gets invited to a peace summit at the fairly new Mutant safe zone Westchester by the King Charles Xavier. Charles is the strongest telepath in the world but the kindest man Erik has ever met. Yet something feels wrong about it all and Erik can't put his hand on it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Compromise of Minds

**Author's Note:**

> This my first Cherik. Please go easy on me haha. 
> 
> This AU is one I really messed around with. America is not shaped like normal, I'm completely making up everything I'm saying about German politics but so is Erik so its fine. The Holocaust happened recently and Westchester is an independent country.

“What is my mission?”

“Get close to the King.”

“…Erik?”

“Sie müssen ihn töten”

Alles vergessen. Forget.

Metal humming and singing. Flying.

Erik opened his eyes and sat up. Breathing heavily he looked around the dismal room.

He had stayed out too late last night at the bars and now appeared to be waking up in some random person's bed. How strange.

When Erik tried to remember last night it was all faint and fuzzy. Like it was all unreal.

He must have had too much alcohol. Too many frayed nerves it appeared.

Erik got out of the bed and collected his clothes. He only had a bit of time to reach the human embassy.

Erik was representing his German political party, the social democrats. He had been invited to a convention at the mutant safe hold, Westchester. The King there, Charles Xavier wanted to make peace with the humans and had invited several influential human leaders to meet with him and see Westchester for what it was for a few days. All in the hopes of spurning legal change and protections in their respective countries.

Erik sighed when he thought of German potitics. He had been trying and trying for years and change had been slow. Hopefully the King could make a compelling case for him.

When Erik arrived at the Embassy he found everyone else dressed and one of the women, Moira smirked at him.

“Rough night?” She asked in a yankee accent.

“You could say so.” Erik said in his own harsh German inflect.

A blue skinned woman arrived. Erik knew instantly she was the King’s sister. His most personal and intimate adviser. He must care about this convention.

As she walked them to a car Erik couldn’t help but admire her mutation. And how she wore it so proudly. A part of him wanted so very desperately to see other mutants feel safe enough to flaunt their abilities.

The tattoo on his arm itched, like he could feel the ink in his skin. Which was preposterous.

“The King of Westchester, Professor Charles Xavier wants to welcome all of you to his home. You will be given the best treatment, and hopefully at the end of your stay you will not stare at me anymore.” Raven smirked at the last statement. “The other mutants have spent weeks preparing for your arrival and we hope all of you feel welcomed. We know that there has been some controversy as to what role humans should play in our society and we want to show you all that we are human.”

Erik needed more alcohol if they were going to start talking about what was ‘human’ and what wasn’t. Why not be another species? Why would the mutants want to be homo sapiens when they had an opportunity to be something better? Something without the blood stained past of humanity.

Again it felt like the ink in his arm hummed. Like it resonated with all the horrors of the Holocaust.

Hopefully the mutants wouldn’t hear that he was German and run away. He was on their side.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Moira murmured. “I would love to live here with them. Safe and protected by the world’s strongest telepath.”

Erik had forgotten about that. The King of Westchester was a telepath. And not just any old telepath, but an omega level. Omega level mutants were the most threatening and powerful. Erik was in awe of them, how they could reshape landscapes with their abilities.

Telepathy meant that Charles Xavier could read any of their minds and manipulate them. Omega level meant that there was no way to stop him if he set his mind against your own.

Which could be scary, but before starting Westchester Charles Xavier had been a genetics professor, consumed with his research and taking care of his students.

Erik had a hard time imagining someone of that caliber using his gift to harm others.

For some reason the word ‘telepath’ didn’t scare Erik. He had faced down monsters in the Holocaust, there was nothing in his mind that could scare him more than the cruelty and terror inflicted onto him by another.

_I’m glad to hear that you’re not afraid._ A warm voice floated around Erik’s thoughts.

It should have made him uneasy, but he only smirked. Let the King root around, a lot of his thought were in German.

_Details details._ The voice sounded fond and faintly British. _Welcome to Genosha, Mr. Lehnsherr._

_Welcome to my mind your majesty. But please, call me Erik, and maybe when we’re friends you can call me ‘comrade’._

Laughter twinkled though his mind as the car parked and everyone filed out.

Westchester was in a large portion of what used to be New York, and the palace was a sprawling Victorian mansion and there were several buildings all around it. It looked like a college, hidden and a safehaven for scholars. Maybe Xavier hadn’t been ready to give up his career in academia.

“Welcome to Westchester.” Raven said. “And now I present the King, Charles Xavier.”

A short and oddly dressed man approached. He wore a sweater with a dress shirt underneath, like an actual college professor. He had dark brown hair and huge blue eyes.

All in all, he was tiny and looked nothing like the omega level mutant he was supposed to be.

He held his arms out, “Welcome to Westchester everyone.” His smile was large and bright. “You have all been selected because of your influence among humans and your leaning on mutant rights to partake in the very first peace summit. I am looking forward to meeting all of you and discussing these issues. Thank you for coming. If you follow me, we can get you all settled, dinner will be served at seven thirty tonight and after that we will have a screening of ‘twelve years a peace keeper.’”

Erik was going to find the alcohol and find it fast.

_Now now, there’s no need for dramatics._

Erik looked up sharply at the King, But Xavier was walking down the hall with his sister while the humans followed awkwardly.

“I have tea if anyone wants it.” Xavier said as they were all led into a living room of sorts.

Erik left the tea and stood there awkwardly with the Swedish movie actor. What a strange bunch.

There was the Australian, Thor as he was called. He had come out recently as a supporter of mutants because of his brother.

Moira Mactaggert, a politician from Vermont who had always supported mutants.

A clothing designer, Janet Van Dyne a remarkably smart woman who had done a lot of pioneer research on cellular construction. Erik had no idea how she would help the mutant cause.

Clea, the leader of a religious group in Scotland who had been preaching about how Christianity should protect and love mutants.

Nicholas, a spirited man from Washington DC. He was somehow involved in American politics, but hadn’t said how.

And then Erik, one of the few foreigners. A leader in the German Social Democrat Party.

Xavier was going around the room talking to everyone, he looked very charming up close.

He had mutants escort everyone off to where they would be staying during the summit, and he saved Erik for last.

“I figured I would show you where you are staying, comrade.” Xavier said with a smile.

“Of course your Majesty.” Erik said as he took the cup of tea Xavier gave him.

“Oh no, none of those honorifics out of you. Call me Charles or Professor Xavier. This last name business is tedious and dehumanizing.” Charles said with a wink.

Erik tapped his head. “Have you been listening in?”

“I cannot help it. Your mind is very different from the others. It is easy to listen to.” Charles said. “You have a strange mind compared to the other humans. I try not to listen in, and it is easy with the others. For some reason it is not so with you. I will make a point to strengthen my shields.”

Erik found himself saying very quickly, “That is not necessary. You can listen in if you want.” Why? Why did he say that? Why would he want the Westchester King rooting around in his head?

_I’m hardly going to root around in your head. I would never do that without your permission._

Erik felt such conviction from Charles that he believed him instantly. It didn’t hurt that this adorable looking academic was the King. It would be very hard for Erik to trust someone more imposing.

“I’m glad that you’re not threatened by me.” Charles said fondly.

By then the King had opened a door and ushered Erik into a Victorian-esque room. He hadn’t seen too many houses like this.

He turned to Charles, sure that Charles had other things to get to instead of hanging out with the German socialist.

“If you need anything just ask anyone. They all want to help. I don’t really hire servants per se, it’s a different system that I can explain to you at a later date. For now I must be off to begin preparations for tonight.”

And then Charles had left. It seemed like he scurried away like a mouse, like he was afraid of Erik.

Erik sighed and turned around halting when he noticed his bag of luggage was in the room. When had that gotten here? One of the mutants must know how to teleport.

Erik took his phone out, checking on current events and generally trying to waste time until dinner.

Moira collected him so they could walk together to the dining room. “It’s been a couple hundred years since America has had royalty in it. Yet somehow this doesn’t seem offensive.” She murmured to Erik as they walked through the halls.

“It helps that Xavier doesn’t act like a King.” Erik agreed.

Dinner turned out to be some sort of buffet line up and Erik smirked. It wasn’t palatial in the slightest.

Before he sat down Charles’s voice returned to his mind. _Come sit with me._

Erik looked up and saw Charles turned away from him discussing something with the movie star. He shook his head a little but followed the gentle prod and took a seat with Charles.

“Eating with the socialist? How scandalous.” Erik said once Charles was seated.

“I quite like socialism. Taking care of each other when we need it is quite a valiant endeavor.” Charles said.

“It’s more about abolishing private property.” Erik said.

“Of course.” Charles sounded fond.

“Is this where we’ll be watching that terrible movie?” Erik asked. “Not that I’m insulting the King’s taste, but I would rather read mein kampf than watch that.”

“They will be watching the movie in the auditorium. I was hoping you would join me for a game of chess in the study.”

Erik raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s fair?” He tapped his temple. “I feel like I will lose soundly.”

“Now now, there’s no cheating in chess. I promise not to look.” Charles said. “I even have some scotch and sherry since I know you’ve been wanting some alcohol.”

Erik laughed, and then remembered how scary his grin could be and tried to dull it down. “I do like my alcohol.”

“You don’t have to smile less, I’m not afraid of some teeth. In fact it’s kind of exciting.”

…What?

Charles looked up sharply at Raven who was seated across the room. They locked gazes, and Erik guessed they were communicating. How nice telepathy must be, all you had to do was think and you could communicate with someone.

“It can get a bit tedious at times.” Charles admitted once he had turned back around. “All these thoughts and emotions always wanting to join me. It is all so foreign and alien at times.”

“It is remarkable.” Erik said in awe. “You could use it as a weapon of terror, you could control all of us measly humans. In fact you could be controlling all of us right now. You truly have a gift Charles.”

Charles’s grin was warm and fuzzy. “Thank you. You’re one of the few humans who thinks that way.”

Once the meal was over Charles led everyone out to the auditorium, and before the movie began he snuck out with Erik.

Erik was curious as to what the King’s study would look like. If it would be covered in papers and books like a professor, or maps and strategic plans like a ruler.

“A bit of both I’m afraid.” Charles said.

It was like Charles said, the room was spacious and cozy. Books upon books lined the shelves, and there were stacks of papers everywhere. Erik took a seat while Charles got the chess set out.

“I expected you to be taller.” Erik admitted.

“I expected you to be more scholarly.” Charles said as he sat down across from Erik. “You’re very physically fit.”

“German politics will do that to you.” Erik said as he poured himself a cup of sherry from a nearby table. Sherry was not something Erik drank too much of, but it was fine. Ruling a small country must be wearing Charles down if he’s already drinking alcohol suited for a retired person.

“So tell me about Germany.” Charles said as he made the first move. He looked up at Erik innocently. “I haven’t had the chance to visit, and I don’t know much about it.”

Erik opened his mouth but paused. Something made him think of his past. For some reason it didn’t feel real. He could remember it, growing up and then the horrors of the Holocaust. Escaping and working for years and years to get better, he had been so damaged during the Holocaust and it took a while to heal from it all. But when he thought about the years after it they didn’t feel like reality. They felt like a dream. Lobbying, researching, his education, all the goddamn politics.

How strange. Maybe it was bad sherry.

Good thing Charles had promised not to read his mind, he might start thinking Erik was a crazy person.

“It is beautiful.” Erik said. “Germany has a lot of guilt, the new republic has had its hands full with helping survivors of the Holocaust as well as starting reparations payments. The Social Democratic Party has been very important, but mutants have been largely overlooked in government programs. No one thinks they deserve protections when they can protect themselves. It is ludicrous. I thought we had learned our lesson about singling out a single population.” While he spoke he moved a piece in his move.

“It is interesting.” Charles admitted. “I was young when the Holocaust happened, like yourself and everytime I encounter someone who has been through it I am shocked by all the pain they manage to hide so well. Humans can be incredibly cruel to each other.”

Charles made his own move and Erik fumbled with a piece deciding his own action. “I know. And I won’t let them treat another minority the same way. I don’t know very much about American politics, but with all the talk of a registration act it all seems a little familiar.”

“That’s why I invited all of you here.” Charles said kindly. “But I must admit you are not like the others. Your mind is different, it was like a beacon for mine and I have no idea why. You aren’t scared, not even a little of me or anyone else.”

“It takes a lot to scare me these days.” Erik said as he pulled his sleeve back, exposing the numbers. “I’ve seen real monsters and you’re not one of them. You could use your power and wreak such destruction, you could change the minds of all America’s politicians. Yet you wouldn’t.”

“You must think I’m weak.”

“In the past I would have. When I was younger I would have yelled at you and argued with you about using your powers to save your race. But not anymore. I’ve grown old enough to appreciate pacifism. There is something comforting in knowing that someone doesn’t want to hurt you or anyone else.”

Charles’s eyes were wide. Like no one had ever said that to him.

Erik looked at the clock. It was late and Charles must be tired after a long day.

Erik stood. “I should let you get some rest now. I’ve distracted you for too long I’m afraid.”

“Good night.” Charles said quietly. _You should join me for breakfast._ Whispered into Erik’s mind.

Pacifism was comforting, but so were the soft whispered words into his mind.

“Of course Charles. Good night.” Erik said as he took his leave.


End file.
